


Gratitude

by CloversDreams



Category: Great Pretender (Anime)
Genre: Banter, Established Relationship, M/M, Shopping, fluffy good times, innuendos, photo booth, the usual between them, theyre on a date
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:55:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26773270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CloversDreams/pseuds/CloversDreams
Summary: “I’m not saying it,” Makoto replied without looking at him. “Doesn’t matter what you do.”That sounded like a challenge if Laurent ever heard one. He put his hand beneath Makoto’s chin and pulled it towards himself. He watched his boyfriend’s eyes widen and cheeks darken just slightly before he whispered, “Come on, I need to hear it every now and then or I’ll whither away.”“Sounds like a you problem,” Makoto replied flatly. He pulled his face from the blond’s grip and muttered something about a nice-looking brush on the table.“Mean. Terrible boyfriend. Wouldn’t recommend.” Laurent muttered. Again, he got no reaction out of the other man. Hardball it was. Laurent held his chin in the air and declared, “Time for me to cause a scene, then.”Makoto finally looked back at him after that. He narrowed his eyes and said, “You wouldn’t dare.”“Wouldn’t I?” Laurent asked defiantly.
Relationships: Edamura Makoto/Laurent Thierry
Comments: 30
Kudos: 464





	Gratitude

Laurent looked upwards as two twittering birds flew by. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky this afternoon and the breeze was neither too hot nor too cold. All in all, it was a perfect day to attend an outdoor market and enjoy all the festivities it had to offer. Even better if it could be done with one’s significant other. Now if only said significant other would give him the time of day. Laurent squeezed the hand in his then smiled when Makoto turned to give him a curious look.

Makoto turned back around and motioned towards a vendor with his free hand. He pulled Laurent over to look at the table covered in sparkling hair accessories. He put his hand beneath his chin and muttered, “Something like this might work.”

Laurent offered him a hum of agreement as his gaze traveled across the variety of shiny wares on display. They certainly were nice looking. Anyone would be lucky to receive one as a gift.

Makoto picked up a hair clip shaped like a rose and tilted his head then asked, “Do you think Cynthia would like this?”

It sure would’ve been nice if this trip of theirs wasn’t about other people. Laurent did his best to hold back his snort but it just ended up sounding like an offended huff instead. He eyed the shorter man and muttered, “Why did you bring me along just to shop for the girls? I’m going to get jealous. Is that what you want?”

“Give me a break,” Makoto snorted in response. As if that ego of his could ever be bruised by something so miniscule.

“Get me something nice too, Edamame.” Laurent mumbled.

“Why would I?” Makoto asked without missing a beat. He waved the rose clip in the blond’s direction and added, “They’re actually nice enough to offer me useful advice or tips when I need it. You’re just a gigantic thorn in my side that goes out of his way to cause problems for me.”

“I’ve never put my thorn in your side, gigantic though it might be,” Laurent teased with a wink.

Makoto’s tone was as flat as the expression on his face when he replied, “Did I mention that your overuse of innuendos in situations that don’t call for such is also incredibly annoying? You’re a pain.”

“But you love me anyway,” Laurent practically sang.

Makoto rolled his eyes and turned back to what he was doing. He set down the hair clip as he admired the rest of the items on display. “I didn’t _have_ to invite you out today, you could try showing a little gratitude.”

Laurent leaned in close and whined softly, “Edamameeee…”

“What about this one?” Makoto continued, ignoring the way the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He tilted his head and said, “It kind of looks like it could be used as a knife if necessary. That’s up Abbie’s alley.”

Normally he’d have a witty remark to add to the conversation, but right now Laurent was too busy pouting. Sure, Makoto was holding his hand, but it felt like he wasn’t even there. The guy was way too good at ignoring him these days. It seemed that Laurent had to up his game. He squeezed Makoto’s hand twice and waited to see if he’d look at him. That way he could steal a surprise kiss, which always flustered the guy.

“I’m not saying it,” Makoto replied without looking at him. “Doesn’t matter what you do.”

That sounded like a challenge if Laurent ever heard one. He put his hand beneath Makoto’s chin and pulled it towards himself. He watched his boyfriend’s eyes widen and cheeks darken just slightly before he whispered, “Come on, I need to hear it every now and then or I’ll whither away.”

“Sounds like a you problem,” Makoto replied flatly. He pulled his face from the blond’s grip and muttered something about a nice-looking brush on the table.

“Mean. Terrible boyfriend. Wouldn’t recommend.” Laurent muttered. Again, he got no reaction out of the other man. Hardball it was. Laurent held his chin in the air and declared, “Time for me to cause a scene, then.”

Makoto finally looked back at him after that. He narrowed his eyes and said, “You wouldn’t dare.”

“Wouldn’t I?” Laurent asked defiantly.

“You _shouldn’t_ draw attention to us right now,” Makoto replied. He stepped closer to the blond so that he could keep his voice soft as he added, “Since this trip is also an excuse to case the area for an upcoming job and all.”

While true, they mostly had that covered. He’d chosen not to disclose that information earlier since it was rare that Makoto would invite him out and he was curious about the plan. Of course he’d expected something more along the lines of a date than this. Was that so much to ask? Evidently so. Good thing he knew just how to make this sorry excuse for an outing interesting. An amused gleam shined in Laurent’s eyes as he said, “Then kiss me.”

Makoto stiffened at the request. His cheeks darkened and he turned his head away then grunted, “No.”

“All right, you leave me no choice,” Laurent sighed. He let go of Makoto’s hand, shook his head, and then held up three fingers. He put them each down in time as he said, “Here I go in _trois, deux, u_ –”

Makoto grabbed his boyfriend’s face with both hands, leaned up onto his tippy toes, then kissed him quickly and grumbled, “I love you, idiot. Now _shut up_.”

Laurent grinned and wiped his lips with his thumb. His gaze followed Makoto as he stomped off while muttering to himself. Laurent ran his fingers through his hair then crossed his arms and hummed, “Knew he’d come around.”

He hurried to catch up with Makoto so they didn’t get separated. Laurent wasn’t met with protest when he took the shorter man’s hand again. If he didn’t know any better, he’d say the guy was actually happy about it. Precious Makoto, he wore his emotions on his sleeve and was an open book because of it. Figuring him out hadn’t been difficult at all.

They continued to peruse the wares at the market, with Laurent offering his two cents whenever necessary. Mostly, Makoto was distracted by his hunt. The level of determination he showed over such a simple thing as finding a gift sure was impressive. Laurent wasn’t sure he’d ever seen him so dedicated before.

“Oh, wow!” Makoto gasped. He didn’t stop to explain and simply tugged the blond over to what had caught his eye.

Laurent barely had time to duck before Makoto pulled him into a photo booth with a lot more enthusiasm than necessary. The dark-haired man let go of him then immediately started to press buttons on the screen. Laurent sat down on the provided bench, shut his eyes, shook his head, and sighed, “If you wanted to make out in a little box you could’ve just said so.”

“Why would I want to do something like that when you have the most obnoxiously comfortable bed in the world at your place?” Makoto snorted.

Laurent raised a curious eyebrow at him and teased, “You’re just dating me for my bed, huh?”

“Yep, you caught me.” Makoto nodded. He continued to click through the options on the screen without looking at the blond. His eyes practically sparkled as he hummed, “I haven’t seen a purika machine since I left Japan. Let me have this.”

“Only if you promise to stick one of the pictures to the back of your phone so everyone can see just how lovesick you are because of _moi_ ,” Laurent teased.

“Fine,” Makoto glanced at him with a knowing smirk, “but you have to do the same and it _has_ to be the most embarrassing shot we get.”

“Deal.”

Makoto’s grin widened then he looked back at the screen and muttered, “Now which frame… hmm…”

Laurent didn’t want to wait until the end of time for his cute, but ridiculous boyfriend to choose. He clicked the button that said ‘random’ and made the decision for him. No need to overthink something like this.

“Ah! But–!” Makoto’s jaw dropped when he saw the one the computer chose. It was so very pink. The aptly named Lovey-Dovey Frame was made of pastel hearts and featured a pair of stick figures in the corner that were holding hands and blushing. All right. Guess that was that. At least it wasn’t going to be on all the photos, he supposed.

He glanced at Laurent and saw that he had a sly grin on his face. As if he somehow planned that, which was impossible of course. Makoto shook his head and simply went with the flow. He clicked the button that said ready then sat back against the bench. After wriggling a bit to get as comfy as possible he tossed his left arm around Laurent’s shoulders and smiled at the camera.

Laurent scooted closer to Makoto so he could put his arm around his waist. That might not be in the picture but they’d remember it, which was what mattered. A timer appeared on the screen and the two of them smiled. Laurent was well aware of the reason for Makoto’s grin being so wide. He thought he was being sneaky with those two fingers sticking out above his head. Tsk, tsk. And here he thought the guy was better than this.

The flash went off and another timer started. Makoto removed his hand from around his shoulders so he could change up the pose a bit. Laurent waited until the countdown reached one then turned and licked his boyfriend’s cheek. The flash went off just when Makoto shrieked. Laurent chuckled to himself. That’d be a keeper for sure.

The next flash went off while Laurent held his hands up in surrender and laughed. Makoto was too busy yelling at him to even notice. After that he shushed the dark-haired man. The final timer started and Laurent put his hands on either side of Makoto’s face. He pressed their foreheads together then stared into those brown eyes he adored so much, which made the other man go quiet. The rosy hue in his cheeks was so prominent and Laurent couldn’t wait to see if it showed up in the picture.

They both turned towards the screen when a flashing ad popped up for a bonus picture. This one wouldn’t be printed but they could have it emailed to them if they wanted. Makoto quickly hit accept then turned back towards his boyfriend and fisted both hands in his shirt. He squeezed his eyes shut and yanked the blond into a kiss. Just as Laurent smiled against his lips, the final flash went off.

He set his hands upon Makoto’s waist and slid them around to his mid back. Laurent held him firmly as he kissed along his jaw. He continued downward to trail sweet kisses along Makoto’s neck, knowing exactly which spot would send a shiver down his spine.

“Hey, cut it out!” Makoto cried. He held back a laugh and wriggled at the blond’s touch “That was the last pic!”

“You started this, Edamame,” Laurent purred. He kissed his neck three more times in quick succession. “Now face the consequences.”

Makoto slapped his hand onto the blond’s face just in time to thwart the next kiss. “You can attack me with affection later.”

“But I want to do it now, _mon chéri_ ,” Laurent hummed. He wriggled his eyebrows then kissed the palm of the hand still upon his face.

“Right here where anyone could walk in on us?” Makoto asked flatly. He let his hand fall away from the blond and gave him an exasperated look.

“Makes it rather exciting, don’t you think?” Laurent laughed.

“No way!” Makoto shrieked with an energetic shake of his head. He managed to pry Laurent off of himself and hold him at arm’s length. “Besides, I want to finish looking around before the vendors close up shop for the evening, come on.”

Laurent leaned back against the bench and sighed, “You’re no fun at all.”

The machine dinged and Makoto gasped. He hurried out of the booth to retrieve their stickers. Then he stuck his head back inside and waved them at the blond as he said, “These are proof of the opposite. I’m loads of fun.”

“Oh, speaking of loads–”

“Don’t you _dare_!” Makoto yelled. He reached into the booth and slapped his boyfriend’s knee to emphasize his point.

“Can’t blame a guy for trying,” Laurent hummed with a wink. His eyes gleamed with his amusement as Makoto frowned disapprovingly at him.

“I can and do.” Makoto snorted as he rolled his eyes. He folded the pictures carefully along the crease then stuck them into his back pocket. “Now pretend you just took an ice-cold shower so we can finish up this date of ours.”

“Is that what this is? Could’ve fooled me with the lack of kissing.” Laurent mumbled.

“Yeah, yeah,” Makoto muttered. He waved a dismissive hand at the blond and added, “I’ll kiss your stupid face so hard that it’ll change your life when we get back to your place later. For now, let’s get a move on.”

Laurent’s eyes shined with what could only be described as promise when he replied, “That’s a verbal contract and I’ll hold you to it.”

Makoto waited for the blond to step out of the booth then took his hand so he could drag him along. If they hurried they’d be able to reach the other end of the market with time to spare. They passed many tables with all sorts of interesting wares. Nothing quite stood out as something he needed to buy, though. It was when they reached a seller with lovely silk scarves hanging all around their booth that Makoto finally found inspiration. He reached up for one in particular that he thought was Cynthia’s color then pouted when he found it just a bit too high to grab.

Laurent grabbed the garment with no issue whatsoever. He smiled from ear to ear as he offered the shorter man the scarf. “You’re so lucky to have a strong, handsome, multi-talented, ever so tall boyfriend by your side. Oh, Edamame, I do envy you.”

“You envy me for dating you?” Makoto echoed his words with a frown. He snatched the scarf from the blond then nodded. “Yeah, that makes sense. You’d marry yourself if possible.”

“Anyone would be lucky to marry me, myself included!” Laurent laughed.

Makoto rolled his eyes and shook his head. He held up the scarf to inspect it before he made the final decision about whether or not to buy. Hmm. It was pretty nice but was it _Cynthia_ nice? That was a tough call.

“I’d treat me right,” Laurent declared, “unlike some people who make me practically beg for scraps of attention.”

“You’re being overly dramatic as usual,” Makoto sighed. He narrowed his eyes at the blond then asked, “Just how much attention do you need in public, anyway?”

“All of it,” Laurent replied without missing a beat.

“You’re ridiculous.” Makoto shook his head then turned his attention to the vendor. He handed the man the scarf and nodded when he was greeted in a language he wasn’t exactly fluent in.

“Ridiculously handsome, yes thanks.” Laurent agreed. He went silent after that and watched Makoto buy the scarf along with a dangerously sharp hair pin. Ah, shopping trip successful then. That meant they could finally head back to that oh-so-comfortable bed of his for that promised make out session. Lovely.

On the way back Makoto spied a stand with homemade mini pies. He immediately went over to it while muttering something about how the girls would enjoy them. Laurent busied himself by admiring nearby wares as he waited for his boyfriend to finally return. Once he did, they continued on their way. Though Laurent didn’t find himself in the mood to say very much as they walked.

Makoto glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. He looked forward once again then said, “You’re unusually quiet. What’s up?”

“You really did just invite me out to buy stuff for the ladies, huh?” Laurent sighed. Secretly, he’d hoped it might be a ruse for some attempt at a romantic date that would go wrong and he'd tease Makoto about later. Oh, well.

“I was upfront with you about that from the start.” Makoto nodded. His brow knitted together and he mumbled, “Not everything I say is some elaborate lie because I have an ulterior motive, you know.”

Laurent put his hands in his pockets. He shrugged halfheartedly then said, “I suppose that’s true enough.”

They continued in silence for another moment before Makoto finally spoke again. “Anyway, you’re wrong. I invited you because I wanted to spend time with you. It just so happened that I also had a goal I wanted to accomplish.” He paused. “And I did get you something too.”

“Oh?” Laurent raised a curious eyebrow in his direction. “When?”

“While you were distracted by that one booth with all the mirrors,” Makoto replied.

Laurent put his right hand over his heart and hummed, “There was an incredibly handsome man staring back at me, how was I supposed to look away?”

“You and your reflection really are the perfect couple,” Makoto snorted.

Laurent winked then hummed, “Don’t worry, that handsome devil could never replace you.”

Makoto scratched idly at his cheek with his free hand. “It’s not like I grabbed anything special. Just some macarons because you haven’t been to France in a few years and it’s always nice to have a little taste of home now and again. They might not even be any good, I don’t know. I just saw them, thought of you, and acted.”

Laurent’s eyes widened. Macarons were one of his favorite desserts. He’d only mentioned them once or twice in random casual conversation that he could recall. He smiled warmly at the shorter man. Makoto noticed, stiffened, then turned away. He blushed and muttered something about him not having to eat them if they were so terrible. Laurent continued to smile. Ah, his troublesome boyfriend really was considerate of those around himself. Now if only he’d stand a bit closer so he could show him off properly, dammit.

He put his hand on Makoto’s waist, pulled him to his side, then kissed his forehead. The surprised squeak and embarrassed muttering he received in response was adorable as always. Laurent’s smile never wavered as he blinked at the blushing man and hummed, “Be still my heart. I can’t decide which decadent snack I want to indulge in first… you or the macarons.”

Makoto shoved the bag he was holding at the blond. Then he hid his burning face in his hands and shook his head. “You can’t say things like that so casually, you jerk.”

“It’s part of my charm.” Laurent chuckled.

“Be quiettt.” Makoto muttered against his palms.

Laurent pat him on the hip and replied, “Buy my silence with kisses.”

“Can’t you wait until we get back?” Makoto groaned. Public make out sessions so weren’t his thing at all.

“Suit yourself,” Laurent nodded, “but you’re only getting deeper into debt with each ticking moment. At this rate I may never let you leave my bed again.” He raised a curious eyebrow at Makoto when he heard the guy grumble something under his breath about how that didn’t sound like a punishment.

“Take my word for it, dear Edamame,” Laurent’s hand slid upwards just slightly then his fingers wriggled on Makoto’s waist, which made him gasp and attempt to wriggle out of his grip. He did so love this man’s reactions to his touch. Laurent laughed then hummed, “I can torture like a pro. You’ll see.”

“You’re being so mean?” Makoto asked when he finally managed to stop wriggling. He poked out his bottom lip then muttered, “After I was nice enough to buy you a treat too.”

“ _Au contraire, mon chéri_ ,” Laurent stopped walking which caused Makoto to do the same. The bag he held crinkled as he lifted his hand so he could place his finger beneath the shorter man’s chin. He wasn’t met with any resistance when he pulled Makoto’s face towards him. Laurent kissed the corner of his incredibly adorable when embarrassed like this boyfriend’s mouth then hummed, “This is me showing you my gratitude in full.”

**Author's Note:**

> Of course I’m back at it with another for this pairing… self-control? Don’t know her. Not when I give in and start writing about a ship I like, anyway
> 
> Abby? Abbie? Aby? Abi? What is the truth… I’ve seen all these spellings and wouldn’t be surprised if there were more I’m
> 
> Laurent is legally required to speak in innuendos every chance he gets I don’t make the rules (and I wouldnt change them if I did)
> 
> I love photo booths so much… let them have the cutest/cheesiest/funniest sets of pics!! Like they deserve!! Ughhhhhhh I die


End file.
